"God, have mercy on me": a page from my journal

To some who were confident of their own rightness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

"Two people went into a chapel to pray: one, Kessia Reyne Bennett, an educated Adventist pastor and theologian; and the other, well, not. Kessia Reyne stood up and prayed about herself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people---Sunday-keepers, pork-eaters, evolution-believers---or even like this "Evangelical." I understand Daniel 7 and I affirm sola scriptura.' 


But the other person stood in the back. He wouldn't even look up to heaven, but he lowered his head and said, 'God, have mercy on me and be my Teacher.' I tell you that this man, not Kessia Reyne, went home justified by God and accompanied by His Spirit. For everyone who humbles himself will be exalted, and everyone who exalts himself will be humbled."

[luke18.9-14, as He spoke it to me]

Jesus, I don't feel very righteous... but a lot of times I do feel pretty "right" and see all the ways that others have got it wrong. Theological correctness can make us look down on everyone else. I don't want to be like that, God! I'm sorry for the us-them mindset I've had, my judgmentalism. I know I've thought I could judge someone's relationship or standing with You based on how their theology compared to mine. Yes, it IS important to have right theology, but I want to be "right" without being smug or suspicious, and I don't want to be right in the wrong way! I want to be teachable, generous in spirit, and humble before Your unsearchable Spirit... God, have mercy on me and be my Teacher.